Proviso East 65, Lake Park 55

The Lake Park girls basketball team contained Proviso East's quick-strike capability for a half.

But like a firecracker with a long wick, Proviso East finally exploded.

In the third quarter the Pirates took off on a 14-0 run and expanded it into a 21-3 burst.

Lake Park regrouped to play the third seed even for the final quarter, but by then the damage was done. The Pirates had themselves a 65-55 victory in the Class 4A Willowbrook regional final Friday night in Villa Park.

It was hardly the first time Proviso East coach Robert Thomas saw a game play out like that for his Pirates (24-5).

"They've been like this all year, a second-half team," Thomas said. "We just come out in the third quarter and play exceptionally well."

Western Michigan-bound senior sisters Miame and Robin Giden led the winners with 22 and 18 points, respectively.

Sixth-seeded Lake Park (22-8) went nose-to-nose with the West Suburban Gold champion in the first half and held a 29-25 edge at intermission.

But the Lancers returned to the court and soon experienced turnovers in rapid succession as Proviso East switched its press from a man to a zone.

Lynsey Ciezki's 18-footer put Lake Park ahead 31-25 at the start of the second half, but then sparks began to fly for Proviso East.

Robin Giden, Tiara Perry and Angela Butler drained a trio of 3-pointers in a row and the Pirates were off on one of their patented runs. This one vaulted them ahead 46-34 late in the third quarter.

Lake Park coach Lisa Smith called a pair of timeouts during the spree to no avail. She had been waiting for Proviso East's explosion to happen.

"And it did, and then our kids were like deer in headlights," Smith said. "We started second guessing ourselves."

The Lancers fought back to pull within 50-46 on Carly Willert's 2 free throws with 4:45 remaining, but Robin Giden answered with 3 three-point plays to give the Pirates a 59-48 advantage with 1:32 remaining.

Samantha Arnold, who had 5 blocks, was the lone Lake Park player to score in double figures. She finished with 18 points on 6-of-21 shooting.

"We didn't want to let one person beat us," Miame Giden said. "We had to stop her, too, in order to win."